This relates generally to imaging devices, and more particularly, to imaging devices with multiple lenses and multiple image sensors.
Image sensors are commonly used in electronic devices such as cellular telephones, cameras, and computers to capture images. In a typical arrangement, an electronic device is provided with a single image sensor having a single pixel array and a single corresponding lens. Some electronic devices use an array of image sensors and a corresponding array of lenses to gather image data. This type of system, which is sometimes referred to as an array camera or a fused array camera, may be used to extend depth of focus, increase output resolution through super-resolution processing, and capture depth information from a scene.
In conventional array cameras, each image sensor in the image sensor array is typically monochromatic. For example, a conventional array camera may include a red image sensor configured to gather red light, a green image sensor configured to gather green light, and a blue image sensor configured to gather blue light. Image data from the three monochromatic image sensors is combined to form full-color images.
Conventional array cameras having three monochromatic image sensors can take up a large amount of space in an electronic device and can require large amounts of silicon to accommodate all three image sensors. The large amount of silicon needed to form an array camera having three monochromatic image sensors increases manufacturing costs. This type of arrangement also takes up valuable real estate in an electronic device.
It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide improved arrangements for fused array imaging systems.